Structures incorporating section strut material



April 24, 1962 L. G. HERROD 3,031,087

STRUCTURES INCORPORATING SECTION STRUT MATERIAL Filed June 11, 1959 Inventor LEONARD GRIFFIN HERROD United States Patent Ofifice 3,03Lfl87 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 3,031,087 STRUCTURES INCORPORATING SECTION STRUT MATERIAL Leonard G. Herrod, Hucknall, England, assignor to This invention relates to structures, such as library and other shelving or racks in which the levels of separate horizontal shelves or the like require to be immediately adjustable, as occasion may demand.

The invention, moreover, concerns such structures of the kind including vertical struts in which there are provided vertically adjustable individual elements or components (hereinafter for convenience referred to simply as cleats) adapted for the support of the corners of horizontal shelves or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure of the kind concerned incorporating unbolted and quick release cleats requiring neither tools nor skilled labour or attention for erection, adjustment or dismantling.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a structure of this kind, an arrangement of the assembled parts whereby as a consequence of the engagement of a shelf or the like with relevant cleats, the latter are securely held in position and prevented from displacement and accidental collapse of the structure.

The structure constituting this invention includes, in combination, vertical struts each having two longitudinal edges which are folded over to form vertical channels coextensive with the struts, the said folded-over edges being appropriately formed at intervals therealong to provide supporting lips or shoulders which protrude into the channels, and shelf or like-supporting cleats which are slidable up and down within the struts and are provided with lugs adapted for engagement with selected lips or Shoulders on the insides of the channels and to be supported by these lips or shoulders at the desired height.

To enable the invention to be more clearly understood, a specific example of a strut, and of a cleat for engagement therewith will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a general perspective view of a portion of such strut, and depicts also a cleat shown in a selected position of use,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a cleat per se,

FIGURE 3 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIGURE 1 and showing also a shelf supported by the cleat,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a folded-over edge of a modified strut, and

FIGURE 5 is a detail sectional view on the line VV of FIGURE 4.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawing.

Referring to FIGURE 1 it will be seen that the vertical strut (one of, say, four corner struts in a skeleton shelving structure or rack) is of angle section and has marginal edge portions 11 which are folded over in such a way as to produce vertical channels C which are coextensive with the strut. At regular, equally spaced intervals therealong each of the two folded-over edges 11 is cut, transversely and vertically with right angular cuts 11a, and the free portions between the cuts are bent inwards to provide cleat-supporting lips 11b which protrude into the channels C.

The structure includes unbolted and quick release cleats clearly in FIGURE 2, each such cleat is of U-section withsuch as that represented at 12. As will be seen more the spaced, parallel walls of the U directed upwards and the opening into the cleat facing upwardly. The cleat isbent at right angles at 1211 so that it is of an angle or L- form conforming generally with the angle section of the vertical strut 10. At each of its opposite ends, the said cleat 12 is formed with an outwardly extending lug 12b in the nature of a wing constituting an extension of the rear wall of the U. The lower edges of the two lugs 12b are straight and horizontal and are capable of being engaged with a selected pair of lips 11b which support the cleat 12 at the desired height, i.e. level.

The cleat is fitted into the strut 10, with its lugs 12b.

in the channels Cbehind the folded-over edges 11.

supported by engagement of the lower edges of the lugs 12!) with the upper edges of the selected supporting lips 11b.

The appropriate corner portion of a shelf 13, in the form of an inverted tray, can then be fitted into the cleat 12 by simply dropping the depending flanges 13a at the corner into the U-section. The act of interposing the said flanges between the outer faces of the folded-over edges 11 and the opposed rear surface of the outer wall of the U draws the lugs 12b forwards, whilst the weight of the supported shelf 13 presses these lugs more firmly into contact with the supporting inwardly bent lips 11b. In this way accidental collapse of the structure is guarded against.

Alternatively, a flat shelf may be furnished at its ends with angle-section corner pieces capable of being simply dropped into the angle or L-form cleats 12.

Instead of the folded-over edges 11 of the struts 10 being first cut, e.g. transversely and vertically, to provide free portions which are then bent inwards to provide cleat-supporting lips as hereinbefore described, each folded-over edge 11 may alternatively be simply pressed inwards at intervals as indicated at in FIGURE 4 to provide on the inside of the corresponding channel C cleat-supporting shoulders 11d (see FIGURE 5).

The invention is not confined to any particular materials for the struts and cleats. They may be made of steel or of a non-ferrous metal such as aluminium or of any other appropriate metal or alloy. Alternatively, they may be made of a suitable plastic or of a plastic-coated metal.

Instead of being of angle section, the struts may be of flat section, in which instance the cleats would be straight, in contradistinction to being of angular form.

I claim:

1. In combination, a vertical strut having two longitudinal edges folded over to form vertical channels co-extensive with the strut, supports attached at intervals along said edges protruding into said channels, at least one cleat of U-section with the opening in the U facing upwardly, provided with lugs extending into said channels and adapted to be slidable up and down within said channels with the lugs behind said supports and adapted to be brought forward at a selected support within said channels for engagement with selected support, and a self having a depending flange adapted to be inserted into the U- section of the cleat between the outer faces of the foldedover edges and the opposed inner surface of the outer wall of the cleat to hold the cleat forward with its lug in engagement with said support, the opening of said U- section being limited in width to the sum of the thicknesses of the flange and the strut.

2. A combination according to claim 1 wherein each of the folded-over edges of the strut is cut transversely and vertically with right-angle cuts to provide free portions between the cuts, which portions are bent inwardly to provide said supports in the form of lips which protrude into the channels.

3. A combination according to claim 1, wherein each of the folded-over edges of the strut is simply pressed inward at intervals, without being cut, to form said supports as shoulders within the channels.

4. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the opposite ends of one wall of said U-shaped cleat are extended outwardly to provide said lugs.

5. In combination, a vertical angle section strut having two longitudinal edges folded over to form relatively angularly-disposed vertical channels co-extensive with the strut, supports attached at intervals along said edges and protruding into said channels, and at least one cleat of angular form conforming generally with the angle section of said strut, the cleat being of U-section with the opening into the U facing upwardly and provided with lugs which slide up and down within the channels behind the supports and which may be brought forward within the channels to engage selected supports at the desired height,

and a shelf with a depending peripheral flange having a corner portion adapted to fit into the U-section of the cleat between the outer faces of the folded-over edges and the opposed inner face of the wall of the cleat to retain the cleat lug in its forward position within the channels in engagement with the supports, the opening of said U-section being limited in width to the sum of the thicknesses of the flange and the strut.

6. A shelf in the form of an inverted tray having a depending peripheral flange, said shelf being supported at each of its corners by the combination in claim 5, said corners generally conforming in angle with said combination, and acting at each corner as the shelf in the combination supporting said corner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 565,539 Hartzell Aug. 11, 1896 716,852 Baker Dec. 30, 1902 1,055,201 Mason Mar. 4, 1913 1,140,940 Bales May 25, 1915 1,488,300 Thompson Mar. 25, 1924 

